Ex-Man City Defender Prefers This Arsenal Star To A Chelsea Stalwart

Danny Mills, the ex-Leeds and Manchester City full-back, has claimed that, based on current performances, he would choose Arsenal's Jurrien Timber over Chelsea's Reece James.

Mills was part of the Leeds team that reached the semi-finals of the Champions League, as well as winning the League Cup with Middlesbrough, in a career that was ended prematurely through injury.

After being sidelined, which meant he lost his place at Man City to a young Micah Richards, he was released in 2009 and opted to end his career to protect his physical health.

With plenty of Premier League experience under his belt, as well as the ability to sympathise with Reece James over the 25-year-old's extensive injury record, Mills is a pretty respectable source to weigh in on which full-back is currently a better player, Timber or James.

Speaking to BetWright, he said: “At the moment, I think Jurrien Timber is a safer and more consistent option than Reece James.

“If I was to choose between them to play in the next Premier League game, the Dutchman would be my pick.”

To many, this may not be such a controversial take. Timber is a vital asset in statistically one of the best defences in the world right now and is getting regular minutes. Arsenal went on an unbelievable streak of keeping clean sheets for eight games, which saw them go the entire month of October without conceding a goal.

Jurrien Timber is unbelievable good and very consistent with his performances. What a player. https://t.co/zRHTrfJ8dY pic.twitter.com/WYs402HtfM

— WelBeast (@WelBeast) November 24, 2025

Reece James, on the other hand, is renowned for his fitness issues that have kept him sidelined for an unfortunate amount of his career so far.

The Englishman has missed almost 150 games of football in his career through injury, an agonisingly high number for Chelsea fans, but when he is fit, he is often able to display his talent.

As a result, it doesn't seem ridiculous for Mills to have considered fitness and availability when choosing between the two. On that very subject, he said: “If both players were in peak form and fitness, James would probably get the nod – but I’m referencing the James that we saw a few years back when he was flying for Chelsea."

Unfortunately for Mills, the idea that James' fitness is a major issue is one that the Chelsea man is starting to disprove. It's coming up on one year (27/12/2024) since he was last out with an injury, only missing one game in March through illness.

Reece james injury prone gimmick in 2025 November https://t.co/Uk6NP9y5hn pic.twitter.com/1TyIIzOs88

— • (@cfcsimv2) November 16, 2025

He has since had the competition of Malo Gusto for a place in the starting XI, which has at times seen James play in a holding midfielder role, one that he has not seemed convincing in to Chelsea fans.

Now he looks to have overcome the injury hurdles that were holding him back from reaching his potential for years; perhaps it isn't an argument to use against him that holds much weight any more.

It's also worth pointing out that Timber has indeed had his own injury woes - he overcame an ACL injury on the way to reaching the level he has hit recently, which makes his achievement all the more impressive.

Mills went on to discuss the difference in play style between the two: “Timber is currently playing brilliantly and is surrounded by other great players, which allows him to play with a bit more freedom. Having said that, they are both very talented full-backs and any team would consider them as a valuable starter."

Interestingly, that might not be the case either. It's fair to claim that Timber is surrounded by better players as, once again, he is part of one of the world's best backlines, but to say he is playing with more freedom is quite a claim.

If you compare the two, Reece James typically gets more time on the ball than his opposite number. Considering that Timber has played over 200 minutes more than James, it might be a surprise to see that the latter has had more touches of the ball and completed more passes in the Premier League this season.

Reece James with the diagonal cross 😮‍💨 Tyrique George with the no-look pass 👀#UECL | @ChelseaFC pic.twitter.com/c44QKOCIWJ

— UEFA Conference League (@Conf_League) May 20, 2025

The Chelsea defender evidently plays more of a role in the build-up, then, including having completed more crosses than Timber, but the Dutchman seems to have more of an impact on the attack. Timber has completed more dribbles and had more touches in the opposition's box and shots on target than any other defender in the Premier League this season.

Jurrien Timber was again one of #Arsenal's standout players, but less so on a defensive side. His attacking display was defined by the intention and direction of his touch, and he played a huge role in our first three goals. Commitment, agression and quality; the perfect blend. pic.twitter.com/MTntPRH7QQ

— Adam Keys (@adamkeys_) November 25, 2025

The ex-Ajax player also boasts some of the best defending stats in the league, with some of the most tackles and duels won in the league. Based on these facts, it's safe to say that James is more valuable at creating chances and linking defence to attack, but if you're looking for someone who is going to shore up at the back and even trouble the opposition's backline, Timber is your man.

Ultimately, they're players with differing styles, which makes comparison quite difficult.

Jurrien Timber has won 89.5% of his tackles in the Premier League this season 🤯

It's the highest success rate of any player to attempt 30+ tackles.

📊 @WhoScored pic.twitter.com/Hsm3TJNdnA

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) November 11, 2025

"The role of a defender is to stop goals and experience counts for a lot as a full-back. Every now and then, you would provide an assist or a goal but your primary objective is to defend. And if each player was at the top of their game, I’d lean towards James.”

In the rough words of Rio Ferdinand, just enjoy them; they're different players so making a comparison isn't necessary. That said, let's be honest, Timber is the best right-back in the league, isn't he?

Source: BetWright